Below is helpful information about how to make your child's therapy at The Center for LifeSkills the best it can be.

Attendance
Consistent attendance is very important in a successful therapy program. If attendance is not regular, you will not see the progress that you hope for your child. Please call the office when you need to be absent from a session - we would appreciate as much notice as possible. Please let us know if you're unable to consistently keep your appointments. This will allow us to find a time more convenient for you and make your previous time available to other families. If you miss more than two sessions without calling, we'll assume you're taking a break from therapy, and we'll call you to discuss finding a better time in the future to pursue your child's program.

Bad Weather
Due to the distance that many families travel to our center, we sometimes close due to bad weather. If you feel that inclement weather will make it difficult or dangerous for you to bring your child for an appointment, please call our office. If The Center for LifeSkills will be closed, you will be notified by phone as soon as possible.

Billing
Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Music Therapy services are billed separately. For questions about your Occupational Therapy bill, contact Terry Lipp at 440.498.1100. For questions about your Speech Therapy bill, contact Stefanie Orkin at 440.498.1100. For questions about your Music Therapy bill, contact Jamie Alspach or Alane Krumbine at 440.250.0091.

Canceling an Appointment
The most important thing you can do is to bring your child to every session. However, it is necessary at times to miss an appointment. Please call the office when you need to be absent from a session. We would appreciate as much notice as possible and if time allows, we will try to reschedule your child's session.

Financial Assistance
Families without the benefit of third party reimbursement (i.e. insurance, autism scholarship, etc.) may request a courtesy discount from The Center for LifeSkills. Please contact Terry Lipp or your therapist at 440.498.1100 for further information.

Hours
The Center for LifeSkills therapists typically treat clients Tuesdays through Fridays. Saturday appointments are sometimes available for special circumstances. Hours vary, and our therapists will work with you to find the best therapy time possible.

Illness
Colds, coughs, influenza and other illnesses do occur. If your child is scheduled for an evaluation or therapy and has one of the following health problems, please let us know so we can reschedule your appointment for a different time.

1. If your child has a fever of 100 or more degrees.
2. If your child is acting ill or excessively tired and has a cold with drainage from the nose.
3. If your child has been exposed to a contagious or infectious disease (chicken pox, strep throat, pinkeye, etc.)
4. If your child has been vomiting, has diarrhea, or a contagious skin rash.

Our therapists may cancel or reschedule sessions if it is felt that your child's health will interfere with the results of therapy. We want your child to have the best opportunity to show what he / she is able to do. A sick child does not perform well and illness will affect the results of any assessment or therapy session. Also, please apply the same health standards to siblings or friends you might bring with you, as we do not want to expose others to illness in our waiting room or treatment areas.

In-service and Continuing Education Days
The Center for LifeSkills is dedicated to offering families the highest quality and best practice in clinical treatment. In support of this goal, The Center for LifeSkills regularly invests in the training and education of our staff members. If a continuing education activity conflicts with a regularly scheduled appointment, your therapist will notify you.

Insurance
The Center for LifeSkills accepts Medical Mutual and Anthem for Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language services and can bill out-of-network for other providers. It is your responsibility to verify coverage and to comply with your insurance provider's pre-certification and/or referral requirements prior to receiving service. You are also responsible for keeping referrals up-to-date, making co-payments, and paying your deductible, as required by your insurance policy.

Observing Therapy
Your child's therapy session is for you and your child - by participating in your child's session, you will be able to better understand your child's therapy program, see your child's progress and learn skills and techniques to carry-over at home. Keep a note pad handy at home and write down questions that occur to you and bring these notes to your child's session for discussion. Occasionally, children perform differently or are distracted when a parent is in the room. For this reason, our therapists may request that you wait in the waiting area during your child’s session. You can observe the session through a monitor, if desired.

Release of Information
By providing The Center for LifeSkills with a Release of Information, you can provide your child's therapist(s) the ability to exchange information with physicians, teachers and other professionals who can provide valuable information regarding their care.

Siblings
We encourage your participation in your child's sessions, but please don't leave siblings or friends alone in the waiting area - it's for their safety and for your peace of mind. Also, please don't drop children off for a session without an adult in attendance.

Student Participation
From time-to-time The Center for LifeSkills will provide students an opportunity to observe or participate in therapy sessions for course-work and practicum requirements. Your therapist will ask you for permission before this occurs. If you have concerns regarding a student being present during your child's sessions, please let your therapist know.

Tardiness
It is important to be on time for your appointments because your child needs the benefit of full sessions. Most sessions are 50 minutes in length. This allows an interval for clinical staff to talk with parents, clean up and prepare for each child. If you do run late, the therapist will make every effort to see you for the balance of your therapy time.

Waiting Area
When you come to therapy, please wait in the waiting room area until your therapist is ready to begin your child’s session. Please remember to communicate any changes in your contact information, physician, or insurance information at this time.

Click here to return to the top of the page